It is well known that bacteria and other germs can be transferred between surfaces by human contact. Further, it is also known that human contact with a bacteria- or germ-laden surface can cause potentially infectious agents to be transferred to the human. Dirty or unclean surfaces can also become active breeding grounds for bacteria and other germs.
Whilst most people appreciate the benefits of washing their hands subsequent to using toilet facilities, some do not. In such cases, there is obviously a risk that a potentially infectious agent will be transferred from the unwashed hand to a surface. Such a surface may be a door handle used to open the door to the toilet facilities. Further, even if a person does wash their hands, a previous user may not have, thereby providing an opportunity for an agent to be transferred from a germ-laden door handle to the hand of the person who did wash their hands. These problems may be particularly acute in schools or in hospitals, although all toilet facilities suffer in this fashion.
Even when one washes one's hands, the tap or faucet is usually hand operated. This necessitates one's germ-laden hands contacting the tap, thereby potentially transferring those germs. After washing one's hands to clean them of any agents, one then has to turn the tap off, providing an opportunity for re-infection of one's hands. In hospital surgery units, this problem is alleviated by having either electronically activated taps, or by turning the tap on and off using one's elbow, actuating a specially adapted tap extension.
CH 568074 discloses a hollow handle in which is located a spongy material impregnated with disinfectant. Also housed within the cavity is a weight. As the handle is turned, the weight compresses the spongy material, forcing a small amount of disinfectant out of an aperture in the handle and onto the hand of the handle operator.
EP-A1-0351307, discloses a device in which the action of using a handle causes it to be axially reciprocated subsequent its release by the operator. During the reciprocating motion, an aseptisising product is applied thereto. DE-U-20000432 and DE-U-20001422 similarly provide handles which have disinfectant applied thereto, subsequent to their operation.
Accordingly, a need exists to overcome the problems and shortcomings of the prior art to provide a handle which can be used in a variety of situations, and in both high and low traffic zones and which effectively cleanses the handle. It is a further object to provide a self-sterilising handle of simple construction which has no need for electricity or other external power sources. It is a further object of the invention to provide a sterilising device which effectively exposes the gripping or actuation surfaces of a handle to a germicidal agent. It is another object that the hand of the handle operator is not exposed to the disinfecting agent.